This week France’s president  sent an adviser to Moscow, an informed source disclosed on Thursday, February 5th—as a Russian minister said Vladimir Putin was ready to receive Emmanuel Macron’s call. 

Tuesday saw Emmanuel Bonne meet discreetly with Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, according to the source, although neither Macron’s office nor the Kremlin confirmed the trip. The meeting was reportedly communicated in advance to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. 

The visit could pave the way for a phone call between the two leaders, who last spoke in July, their first known conversation in over two and a half years. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed on Thursday that President Vladimir Putin is prepared to speak with Macron. Lavrov told state broadcaster RT

If you want to call and discuss something seriously, then call.

“The Russian president will always pick up the phone, listen to any proposals, and if we’re talking about serious proposals, I can assure you they won’t go without a serious, concrete, and practical response,” he added.